Late 2010 and 2011 brought about a change in direction. After a huge year (2009/early 20120) of running and making a couple of trips abroad to walk up high snow covered mountains, I bought a house and everything changed. Not only was money to travel far reduced but I had a nagging feeling in my head that despite loving what I’d done, that I wanted to go back to basics and not skip steps, I wanted to be able to build towards something in the future with a group of friends who were taking more interest in getting out and about.

In July 2010 I went to Plas y Brenin to complete the Summer ML training, taking more notice of things like navigation/ropework which until then I’d brushed over and learnt just what was needed. After a horrendous wild camp in Cwm Eigau (stupidly taking just wine and no water as we thought we’d find some…) and a nice day walking the entire Carneddau with the first snow of 2010 on the tops, the year was coming to a close and my interests starting to shift.

Me and my friend who’d years before decided that a trip to Everest Base Camp was a good idea after more than a few pints, thought a cheap trip to the Alps to climb some easier 4000m peaks sounded like a good plan for the Summer of 2011. So on Boxing Day as part of our training we slogged up Y Garn in really deep powder and surprisingly cold weather, then in February met up with a guide I knew in Snowdonia to work on ropework (crevasse rescue/moving together etc) and get more time on the snow, despite seeing now snow, we learnt a hell of a lot and had “fun” climbing Lockwoods Chimney and scrambling on Tryfan Fach.

Up on Y Garn on Boxing Day

Scrambling on Tryfan Fach

With a now expanded group climbing, this took hold and early in 2011 we climbing regularly outdoors throughout Leicestershire (Markfield/Beacon Hill/Hangingstone Quarry) and then into the Peak District with great days at Stanage/Harboro Rocks/Birchen and Horseshoe Quarry. Walking was limited to a couple of outings and even when we did visit Snowdonia in early Summer it was to boulder and complete a stunning multi-pitch, Outside Edge Route (VD, about 150m I think and will get a blog post one day) on Craig Yr Ogof.

Vertex at Hangingstone Quarry

Two Loos (F4+) at Horseshoe Quarry

With my grade going up and full of confidence moving into the mid Summer, disaster struck. Casually traversing a simple V1 boulder problem to cool down, my foot slipped and my left foot went between crash mats, accompanied by a loud crunch/scream. I took a short trip to Leicester Royal Infirmary for an X-ray and to be told I’d torn 3 ligaments in my ankle.

Our trip to the Alps was just 3 weeks away and after a trip to a physio, that was cancelled and I began 6 weeks of painful rehabilitation. Coming back was difficult, not just because I’d lost some strength but more so that my confidence was shot to pieces. But by then I had something to work towards, whilst off I’d sat at the pub talking with my mates about the great days we’d had earlier in the year climbing, and so a plan was formed, to climb in Spain.

In late August, we flew out to Valencia and after getting horrendously drunk at the Tomatina tomato festival in Bunol, spent 10 or so days driving South towards Malage and climbing as we went. Frustratingly limestone continued to be more difficult for me that most other rock types, yet in such a stunning setting I enjoyed the majority of routes I climbed. As a side note, climbing at this time of year is a bad idea, it’s far too hot, so go in Winter!

Climbing at Forada in the shade!

After coming back from Spain, I’ve found myself concentrating a lot more on bouldering. Whilst my lead grade has if anything gone down from the Summer (still hovering around 5+/6a when before I was pushing towards 6a+ and even some 6bs), my bouldering feels far stronger (starting to complete and feel strong on V3, knowing with some work I’ll have them comfortable) and I know with improvements in stamina in the new year I’ll be pushing beyond what was possible before.

It’s been an interesting year and quite a change in my outlook since I last posted, goals for what to achieve over the next couple of years are more blurry than ever. But perhaps I’ve stopped worrying so much about doing particular things and instead found myself once again really enjoying climbing wherever and on whatever, but more than anything with a group of friends.

Santa is bringing me a new pair of climbing shoes (La Sportiva Katana), and there’s a new chalk ball unopened with my climbing kit, bring on 2012!

At the top of the Daear Ddu ridge on Moel Siabod

Arriving at the Bryn Glo car park on the A5 before Capel Curig at just after 8pm, there was still plenty of light as we set off out of the car park to the right briefly before turning left over a bridge and up a lane. The second right is taken, I think it’s even signed for Moel Siabod, and a steady climb starts up a tarmacked single lane road. After a while a diversion is directed to avoid the farm which is at the end of the lane, this briefly winds up before rejoining the road beyond the farm. Over a stile the route passes through several fields (full of sheep/lambs at this time of year). It was around now the light steadily started to fade and light rain began to fall.

Steady ascent through fields in light rain and fading light

After a little while we came to an obvious ridge line down off Moel Siabod, from which we would later descend, that we avoided and continued on the trail to the first of the lakes on the route. As we reached the end of this first lake, the rain became stronger, we moved up into the clouds and with this the light went completely, head torches were switched on, waterproofs were put on and we started ascending again.

With several sections of boggy ground and now thick cloud (made worse by the torches) the route became difficult in places to follow, and with only about half a mile to the ridge we found ourselves unable to follow the path further and switched to a compass to guide us down towards the lake (that we almost walked into… whoops!), where we knew another path should be that would lead us more directly to the base of the ridge. By this point the topic of trying to find decent place to pitch the tents was high on the agenda, with the ground incredibly boggy by the lake and strong winds making setting up on higher more exposed grounds a bad idea, we decided to go a in between and look for some shelter just higher off the ridge.

After around 15 minutes of walking together in a line around the base of the ridge we found a suitable spot, with some shelter from the wind offered by a rocky outcrop. After “a couple” drinks we tried to get some sleep. It was now I really regretted throwing the Thermarest out to keep my pack weight low, the ground was freezing and it took quite some time to get comfortable, I’ll not be making that mistake for a while.

Tents pitched at the base of the Daear Ddu ridge

Waking up fairly late after a surprisingly good night sleep we packed up and looked up the ridge to the summit. The first section was really simple stuff although there were a few options we picked that were noticeably harder than the main route up, and more so with heavy packs on that made balance difficult. But it’s mainly good fun and quite a lot simpler/less sustained than other grade 1 scrambles nearby, confirming it as an introduction to scrambling which I’d read on the Internet/in guide books prior. After about 1/3 of the ridge is complete, things open up and the scrambling fades into a trail that snakes its way up through scattered rock, with some spots you could climb a little if you really tried.

The summit is a small rocky outcrop on the Western corner of a plateau, by now there were other groups with us, so we quickly walked up to the trig point, turned on our heels and looked for the way down. Down from the summit you follow the obvious broad ridge down to the East over rocky undulating ground. We moved fairly quickly at first and then I stopped to talk to a group of other walkers, one of whom struck up conversation about my pack/trousers, who turned out to be from Snow + Rock on a long weekend testing gear, who kindly gave me a Mammut baseball cap… result! Back with the other two we continued over the ridge and downward over easy ground.

There’s quite a few rocky steps, as is usual for a route like this, and on one about half way down my knee emitted a loud crack, I winced and hoped it was nothing. The rest of the descent was uncomfortable and my knee continued to hurt on the rocky steps, guess I’m getting a little older! Anyhow, there’s nothing tricky coming down and soon the ridge becomes more grassy until it descends down towards a broken up rock wall which you pass aiming diagonally right, to meet the path we’d taken in and walk back out.

The route taken is well worth taking, but our walk in at night in thick cloud without prior knowledge of where to pitch was far from ideal, we learnt plenty that night! I’d definitely suggest going light and completing the route quickly as the guide books suggest instead of the more leisurely way we came at this. The scramble is, as most guides suggest, really simple and would make sense as an introduction to scrambling. Given the fantastic grade 1s close by (Snowdon Horseshoe, Tryfan North Ridge, Bristly Ridge, Crib Lem Spur) I’d be hard pressed to advise on Daear Ddu ridge first unless you’re keen on taking things slowly and getting a feel for scrambling. However, the ridge itself is fun, there’s less crowds on here the the other well known routes nearby and you still get that fantastic setting, that’s usual for North Wales. On the practical side, I can add another wild camp to the list and learnt plenty from approaching this too casually in changeable conditions. From a light-hearted point of view we’re still laughing about seeing each other sink in the boggy ground in the dark/rain and then pulling each out.

There’s a full set of images from the Moel Siabod wild camp/walk available on my Flickr.

Next up will depend on the weather but a longer route in the Lake District or climbing in the Peak District look fairly promising. I’ve also nearly become “comfortable” in my new pair of climbing shoes so I’ll do a bit of a review in the coming weeks as to how they’re getting on.

What have I been up to then?

• September 2009 – Kinder Downfall from Hayfield
• November 2009 – New York Marathon
• March 2010 – Tower Slabs (wi ii/iii) on Glyder Fawr and Left Hand Trinity (wi i/ii) on Snowdon
• April 2010 – Cadair Idris

… and concentrated on my climbing in particular, with now regular weekly visits to The Tower Climbing Centre in Leicester

BIG NEWS is that I’m now registered to the Mountain Leader qualification so there will be plenty more walks and camping to come over the next 6 months with the aim being to take the training sometime in late Summer/early Autumn, and then the exam either late this year or more likely early next. Preparing for the ML will mean lots more updates as I keep track of walks/climbs and a clear direction for what’s to come on blog. Can’t wait to get cracking, the log book sits besides me, insisting I go and find plenty more fun up high.

• Write ups of the Jegihorn via ferrata, Weissmies SSE/WNW traverse (PD), Lagginhorn WSW ridge (PD) and Allalinhorn WNW ridge (F+) routes taken from Saas Grund and the huts we stopped in.
• Some of the bits of kit that worked fantastically well and bits I’ll be disposing of.
• And finally a piece on how it all came together so that on the 4th August at 8:15am GMT I reached the summit of Mont Blanc via the Gouter route.

I learnt lots out there, not just about how to tackle 4000m peaks in the Alps but also what I really enjoy and what I need to work on that’ll shape/change my plans for 2010/2011, that I hope to come back with more on soon. And with parents moving (read clearing out the loft), there’s a few photos come to the surface that will help explain a little about what started all of this off.

Just need a quick lay down and to compose myself and we’ll be off!

On top of Mt Blanc

But then things do happen. Luckily this time (and what’s put the post in my head) the incident wasn’t something I was there first hand to experience, and my friend was only there after trying to help. Still, his enthusiasm and desire to really push on has been tempered. How a tiny mistake made by someone experienced and comfortable on the terrain, has lead to such huge consequences (the person sadly died), has massively hit home.

We talked briefly between us about what had happened, then went climbing and afterward for a beer. Both being young (well we like to think so in our mid 20s) and not massively experienced we’re still full of enthusiasm to try things and push ourselves, often beyond our comfort levels/limits. We talked about what we’ve done over the past few years, how we’ve been lucky but as usual ended up smiling about some of the incredible things we’ve been lucky to do.

I could ramble on forever about this but I’m determined to keep it succinct. I’ll end with a couple of quotes from people who’ve spent a huge amount of time in the mountains and had similar experiences in their time up high.

“Mountains are not fair or unfair – they are just dangerous”
- Reinhold Messner

“Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end.”
- Edward Whymper

Quickly on kit I’m looking forward to receiving an exciting parcel of goodies from Needle Sports which will include some rope for indoor climbing, snow goggles and insulated trousers. Once it arrives I’ll take a look and post on here my first impressions.